Starting!

Tar.Aldarion

Just did my first lesson, driving is awesome.
I can turn left and right. :cool:


Any other starters? Usually how many lessons do people do?

hussey

I have not driven in a few years, gonna start again soon.

Just one tip though - not sure if this is still teh case, but when I started I did 25 lessons from a registered driving instructor and received a year no-claims bonus!

I actually saved money doing this as insurance > (insurance-1 years no claims) + lessons.

Think I saved about 200euro, but I was a 24year old male at the time.

spinandscribble

i've done 12 lessons (so 12 hrs total) and i think thats enough for the moment for me. at this stage i know what i need to work on and i can do that with family members. I will get more once i feel i've hit a wall (regarding progress that is).

prodigal_son

I did 3 lessons.

But i did a lot of practice with family members, so it depends from person to person.

good luck!

Thumpette

I've done 5 x 2 hour lessons so far- I reckon the real benefit comes from loads of practice in between. My first lesson was great- sounds like yours, was so delighted that I could make a car move and turn etc. My second one was horrific- had too high expectations of myself and it was really bad- came home in tears and vowed never again. Been pretty good since- getting loadsa practice in between times.

Going to practivce for another month or so and then apply for my test (so I will have my learners permit for 6 months) Reckon ill have 2-3 more lessons before the test.

Good luck!

Alanstrainor

Thumpette wrote: »

My first lesson was great- sounds like yours, was so delighted that I could make a car move and turn etc. My second one was horrific- had too high expectations of myself and it was really bad.

I was the exact same, first lesson great, picked up how to use the clutch quickly and was taken out onto the main road from the get go, was over the moon. Second lesson was a bit of a slap in the face. I think everyone's the same really. OP if it happens to you, no worries, you're not the only one!:o

Kingkong

I've done 4 lessons and overall I'm gettin on well but on occasion I am still letting out the clutch wrong. It's head wrecking. Thought I had it but no.

When you are changing gears are you to completely come off the clutch before applying the accelerator?

Wishbone Ash

Thumpette wrote: »

then apply for my test (so I will have my learners permit for 6 months)

You don't have to wait 6 months before applying for the test (but you must have held the licence for at least 6 months on the day of the test).

Kingkong wrote: »

When you are changing gears are you to completely come off the clutch before applying the accelerator?

As the clutch plates are biting you should be applying pressure to the accelerator.

You just need a bit more practise.

wil

Tara Le d'Arion wrote: »

Just did my first lesson, driving is awesome.
I can turn left and right. :cool:

A natural ambiturner*:D

And thousands more awesome miles to come:)

Take as many proper lessons as you can afford, that way you will be less likely to start bad habits. You will save money in the long run and pass sooner. UK normal is 20 to 40 paid lessons.
20 might be enough to pass in Ireland for the average person.
Stats show generally the older you are the greater the number of lessons required to pass.

(* ref Derek Zoolander)

macroman

Kingkong wrote: »

I've done 4 lessons and overall I'm gettin on well but on occasion I am still letting out the clutch wrong. It's head wrecking. Thought I had it but no.

When you are changing gears are you to completely come off the clutch before applying the accelerator?

I found not thinking about it I do it right :eek: And yes you let the clutch out slightly to the biting point apply some gas and slowly let out. Some advice is dont floor the accelerator or jump off the clutch - it's a case of coordination. I'm still getting the hang of it myself!

Tar.Aldarion

Cheers for the posts, scared of my second lesson now hehe.

challengemaster

Hehe, started last week, had my sixth or seventh today.. After I think the second or third he let me drive back

Only real thing that was annoying was yesterday. Going up a hill with a car parked on my side and traffic coming and cars behind me.. Wasn't a nice hill start! Eventually managed it :cool:

macroman

challengemaster wrote: »

Hehe, started last week, had my sixth or seventh today.. After I think the second or third he let me drive back

Only real thing that was annoying was yesterday. Going up a hill with a car parked on my side and traffic coming and cars behind me.. Wasn't a nice hill start! Eventually managed it :cool:

Got a hill start on my first lesson - wasn't very nice, just have to remember to give it more gas and hold the clutch a little longer - and if it's steep to hold the handbrake just until you're about to pull off.

Tar.Aldarion

7 lessons in a week chaalengemaster!

challengemaster

macroman wrote: »

Got a hill start on my first lesson - wasn't very nice, just have to remember to give it more gas and hold the clutch a little longer - and if it's steep to hold the handbrake just until you're about to pull off.

Yeah, except it just wasn't nice at all. For about 1 second when the car rolled a bit I panicked, floored the gas.. duh. Then I copped and hit the brake/clutch, regained my calm, and thought about it. Got going then.

Had a hard one today.. tiny bridge in Athlone, there's a junction just at the bridge, and its a nasty turn in, on a steep slope, where you don't have right of way.. but due to the experience yesterday, managed it well

challengemaster

Tara Le d'Arion wrote: »

7 lessons in a week chaalengemaster!

Well, had one or two last..eh..week. One monday/tuesday, two wed, one today

wil

challengemaster wrote: »

Well, had one or two last..eh..week. One monday/tuesday, two wed, one today

Highly commended.
With a decent instructor you will be up to test standard inside a month.

And overall, you will actually save money.

Its a pity a few more people dont follow suit, many dont bother to have 7 lessons in a year let alone a week.

An intense course like this might not suit everybody
I wouldnt recommend much more than one hour per day, because there is a limit of how much you take in, after an hour most learners have stopped learning.
You should probably take a day or 2 off per week.

But spread out over a month, you'd be surprised how quickly you progress, all learning and no time to develop bad habits.

Towards the end try for 1 or 2 pretests with different instructors. It will give you experience of driving with an unfamiliar judge and also a more unbiased second opinion.

macroman

Well I had two lessons (4 hours total) about two weeks ago, the instructor told me to practice what we performed (everything except reversing onto a new road). Have been out a lot in the past two weeks, everything going great - I'm learning new things by myself and my co-ordination is improving. But a good instructor is everything - mine lets me do mistakes, and tells me where and when I went wrong and advises me on how to correct them. The last instructor I had used to tell me my mistakes as I was doing them - more confusing on the pupil IMO.

wil

macroman wrote: »

....instructor told me to practice what we performed (everything except reversing onto a new road). ....

I hope you meant reversing in to a side road (around a corner).
It is illegal and downright dangerous to reverse from a side road on to a main road. (doesnt stop people doing it:eek:)

Different people learn differently, the instructor should have an idea after a few lessons what is right for you, but a combination of occasional reminders as you do something wrong and a good review of what you need to correct afterwards might be a reasonable approach.

My instructor gave me written notes which really helped when trying to remember what he said later. You are so busy concentrating on what you are doing and whats going on around you (I hope;)) that it is not always easy to take in what is being said.
The stuff you are getting wrong should then be concentrated on in the following lessons until it becomes natural.

Wishbone Ash

challengemaster wrote: »

Going up a hill with a car parked on my side and traffic coming and cars behind me.. Wasn't a nice hill start! Eventually managed it :cool:

Ideally you should be 'reading' the road ahead (if possible). In that situation, I would have slowed down long before reaching the parked car and avoided the necessity of a hill start. It doesn't always work out though!

DancingDaisy

I've had two one hour lessons in the last week, I have another one hour lesson booked for this week and a two hour lesson booked for the following week and I can still say that I'm learning something new each time I get into the car.
I have a practice hour with my dad once a week on top of that and a family friend is bringing me out on Sundays for an hour or two.

Each time I get into the car I can feel myself gaining in confidence and have been told that I have the theory of driving a car correct and it's just the practice I need now, and I personally am prefering to get as much practice with the instructor so I can't really develop any bad habits, I've even been pointing out my dad's bad habits to him, (word of advice: parents really don't like that!) :cool:

Anyhow, I think what I'm trying to say is that the amount of lessons you need and want depends on the individual. I'm going to continue getting a lesson a week until the end of the summer, then back to college with me. I can't sit me test 'till December, but would prefer to leave it until after exams, so I'm sure I will get another lot of lessons from after Christmas until I sit me test. It may sound like alot, but I would really like to pass my test first time around and if this is what it takes me to achieve that then I will spend my Christmas and birthday money on the lessons and be done with them after the test! (Hopefully!);)

wil

DancingDaisy wrote: »

, (word of advice: parents really don't like that!) :cool:

Irish parents really really dont like it. English parents are well used to it.

Sounds like you are adopting the best approach to passing. Good luck

Tar.Aldarion

Hmm, don't know why you all hated your second lesson! Had mine today, was great driving on the roads and going though a roundabout, eek. Got a bit of reversing in too, got around the corner first time.


Hard to go back to an estate after doing 80-100kph. Heh

Caychadh

I found that if you're doing a course, about the fifth lesson can be the toughest. The instructor is a lot less sympathetic if you make mistakes and you will be out on busier roads, have to change lanes and deal with more stressful situations. If you do have one of those 'oh my God, I'm getting worse!' lessons, don't fret- it's a good sign that your teacher thinks you capable of bigger challenges and is now thinking ahead to the TEST. :P
Glad your second lesson went well. Uh, 80-100 kph?! :eek:

Tar.Aldarion

Yeah, I've played racing games, am able for it!


Don't relish more busy roads, eek.

meptastic

wil wrote: »

Highly commended.
With a decent instructor you will be up to test standard inside a month.

And overall, you will actually save money.

Its a pity a few more people dont follow suit, many dont bother to have 7 lessons in a year let alone a week.

An intense course like this might not suit everybody
I wouldnt recommend much more than one hour per day, because there is a limit of how much you take in, after an hour most learners have stopped learning.
You should probably take a day or 2 off per week.

But spread out over a month, you'd be surprised how quickly you progress, all learning and no time to develop bad habits.

Towards the end try for 1 or 2 pretests with different instructors. It will give you experience of driving with an unfamiliar judge and also a more unbiased second opinion.

I am so much in agreement with this! I drove for almost a year waiting for my test to come up (back in the bad old days when you applied right away, and waited and waited), with my boyfriend instructing me for the first while, and then driving around on my own, when I shudder to think of all the mistakes I got away with!

Then I got my date, 3 weeks in advance, whereupon I ran to an instructor in panic! My first lesson was a nightmare, revelation after revelation of bad habits I had, all of which she attributed to "boyfriend syndrome" - she says the worst habits she sees are always taught to girls by their boyfriends who have had their licence a couple of years or more.

In all I had 6 lessons in the run-up to the test, the last on the test morning itself. Every one until that last one was a total nightmare of abuse - completely warranted and necessary. After the last one, which did actually go well, she said, well I think we've got you there by the skin of your teeth, let me know right away after.

I passed it with 2 grade 2's, and have stuck to the things I learned in the crash course in the years since, and my driving has definitely improved a lot in the meantime. But I know full well if I hadn't gotten such a tough instructor for that crash course, I woulda failed that time, and very likely gotten in that cycle of failing and failing. Her harsh words saved me from that, I am certain (may I name her? You can edit this out if not I guess, she is Mary Burke of Navan.)

So to keep out of that cycle, I think intensive courses to begin with are really a great idea. Well done for going that route

j1979p

macroman wrote: »

I found not thinking about it I do it right :eek: And yes you let the clutch out slightly to the biting point apply some gas and slowly let out. Some advice is dont floor the accelerator or jump off the clutch - it's a case of coordination. I'm still getting the hang of it myself!

Another thing to remember is that if u take a little more time between depressing the clutch and letting it out again, the engine speed drops a lot so to get a smooth transition, sometimes it's better to rev a little before the biting point.
If you don't do this you will feel a tiny little jerk that passengers in the car may not even feel. You feel it however cos you're the driver and automatically process all the feedback the car gives you.

giddybootz

hiya
just started last week...2 lessons...and i felt AWESOME!!! couldnt believe i was actually driving on an actual road!!
had my 3rd lesson earlier this week and i was a mess! had a bad dream about it and then psyched myself out!! felt that i was the worst learner driver ever! instructor said i was fine but just felt like a loser!
bout to go off on my 4th lesson in about 40 mins so tryin to stay calm!! hopefully i will feel awesome after it again!!